Fire-escape



(No Model.)

G. G. GRUNZ.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Mar. 31,1891.

IUTOR/VEYS WITNESSES 1W A460 m: nonmsyerzns cm mormrmo wksmupmu, o. c.

FFICE.

PATENT CARL G. GRUNZ, OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,475, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed September 24, 1890- Serial No. 365,946i (N0 model.)

To (NZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL G. GRUNZ, of Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. k

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; and the object of my invention 1s to produce a fire-escape which may be ra sed quicklyfrom the ground to any desired helght, and by means of which persons in a burning building may be rapidly and safely lowered to the ground.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying dpawings, forming a part of this specificat1 on,1n which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fire-escape with the upper and lower frame closed t0- gether. Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation showingthe fire-escaperaised to its full height. Fig. 3 is a broken front elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 is a sectional taken plan on the broken line at a of Fig. 2.

The fire-escape is provided with a suitable supporting frame or base A, and on the base are erected the various parts of the fire-escape. An extensible frame consisting of the lower side pieces 13 and the upper side pieces 3 is erected near one side of the base, the upper side pieces being arranged to slide vertically within the lower side pieces, and to enable them to work easily pulleys b are pivoted on the outer sides of the upper side pieces B, said pulleys running in corresponding grooves in the lower side pieces, so that the upper portion of the frame may be easily raised and will also be guided by the pulleys and grooves.

Pivoted on the front and rear portions of both the lower side pieces B at the upper end are pulleys Z), and cables 0 extend over the pulleys, the upper ends of the cables being attached to the lower end of the upper sliding frame and the lower ends of the cables being fixed to'the drums D, which are mounted in the front and rear of the extensible frame on the shafts D, so that the upper frame may be raised by operating either set of drums, and in case the cables connecting with one set of drums break the other set of drums and cables will hold the frame in position.

The drum-shafts D are provided with suitable handles (Z at each end, so that the shafts and drums may be thereby turned, and the d ru m-shafts are also provided at each end with suitable ratchet-wheels and pawls e to prevent the drums from turning backward.

The supports .1 are higher than the supports E, and mounted in the supports above the drums D are smaller drums F,said drums being fixed to the shaft F, and the shaft is provided with suitable handles f, so that it may be readily turned, and with ratchet wheels and pawls f to prevent it from turning backward. Each of the drums F has cables 1 attached thereto, said cables being of different lengths and made to extend over the pulleys g, which are arranged on the outer sides of the side pieces Band the inner sides of the side pieces B, the upper ends of said cables being connected to the swinging frames or bridges H, which are pivoted at one end to the upper and lower sections of the extensible frame, so that by manipulating the cables the said bridges may be swung into a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1,01 allowed to drop into a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The frames or bridges ll have laterally-en tending arms h, to which the cables 9 are at tached, and the sides of the frames are connected by a suitable webbing H, which is preferably of wire, and which forms a floor when the frames or bridges are dropped into a horizontal position. These bridges or frames 11 are arranged at intervals upon the extensible frame, so that they may be conven V iently brought opposite a window of a building and the persons therein thereby enabled to escape, as described below.

The side pieces B of the extensible frame are provided at the top with a laterally-extending frame J, which is arranged to extend in opposite direction to the bridges H, and pivoted in the outer end of the frame J is a drum K, which aligns with the drum L, said drum L being pivoted in suitable supports on the base A, and having rows of radially-extending pins Zarranged thereon. The drums K and L are connected by a rope ladder M,

which is preferably of wire, and in order that the ladder may be adjusted to the varying distance between the drums K and L it is made in sections, the sections having at the ends hooks m and eyes 127., so that by suitably arranging the hooks and eyes the ladder maybe made of any desiredlength. The rungs of the ladder are engaged by the pins Z of the drum L, sothat the ladder is thereby prevented from slipping, and when the drum is turned the ladder is also revolved, one side of the ladder being made to descend and the other to ascend.

The drum L is mounted in suitable supports N, and the drum-shaft is provided with gear-wheels n neareach end, which mesh with the gear-wheels 71 ,the gear-wheels n being provided with suitable shafts n and the shafts with crank-handles a so that by turning the handles and the connecting-gears the drum L will be also turned. The drum has a smooth projecting portion L at each end, over which passes a strap-brake 0, one end of the strap beingconnected to the base A, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the other end being attached to the lever P, which is pivoted at its base to a suitable support, so that when personsare on the ladder and wish to descend the operators of the fire-escape may release their hold on the handles a and by grasping the levers P and applying the pressure by means of the strap 0 to the projecting ends of the drum L the speed of the ladder may be regulated.

The extensible frame composed of the side pieces B and B, as described, is braced by suitable poles Q, which are pivoted to the side pieces of the frame, and which extend to the ground; but, if desired, guy rods or ropes may be substituted for the poles.

In order that the device may be safely operated, I have shown the operating-drums-ar ranged in duplicate; but it is obvious that single drums might be used for operatingthe device without departing from the principle of my invention.

The operation of the device is as follows: It is erected near a burning building and op-. posite the windows therein, and by means of the drums D and connecting-cables the upper side pieces B'of the extensible frame are raised to a desired height, the ladder M is adjusted in the manner described, and by means of the drums F and cables 9 the bridges lowered or frames H are dropped into a horizontal position. The people in the building may then step from the windows onto the bridges H and pass between the side pieces B or B, as the case may be, to the ladder M, and when they step upon the ladder they may be in the manner described. The ratchet-wheels and pawls 6 will normally prevent the upper portion of the extensible frame from dropping; but when the frame is to be lowered the pawls may be released from the ratchet-wheels and the frame will drop of its own weight.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A tire-escape comprising an extensible frame with the upper member mounted to slide in the lower member, a frame mounted on theextensible frame and having a drum pivoted therein, a drum at the base of the extensible frame, means for turning the drums, and a rope ladder extending over the drums, said ladder being made in sections connected by hooks and eyes, substantially as described. 2. A fire-escape comprising an extensible frame with the upper portion arranged to slide in the lower portion, drums and cables for operating the frame, bridges pivoted to the extensible frame, drums and cables for operating the bridges, a frame fixed to the extensible frame and extending laterally therefrom, a drum mounted in the fixed frame, a drum at the base of the extensible frame, a ladder extending over the two drums, and means for turning the drums, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the extensible frame having means, as shown, for raising and lowering it, and havinglaterally-extending bridges pivoted thereto, of a laterally-extending frame fixed to the upper end of the extensible frame, a drum pivoted on the laterally-extending frame, a drum pivoted near the base of the extensible frame and provided with projecting pins, a rope ladder connecting the two drums, said ladder being mad'ein' sections connected by hooks and eyes, as shown, and means for turning the drums and ladder, substantially as described.

CARL G. GRUNZ. Witnesses:

AUG. MEYER, D. MATHIESEN. 

